A Year Gone By
by x.o.x-MissUnderstood-x.o.x
Summary: Someone's after Tony. Someone has tried to kill Gibbs. Someone has kidnapped Kate and put her in a coma. Can the team save Kate, and stay alive? Can they solve the three most personal cases of their lives? TATE! Please R&R [first story].
1. I miss you

It's a bit angsty but please review. And as for any bad writing techniques, I'm still in high school (I'd be in middle school if I lived in USA) so my writing skills aren't perfect but I love constructive criticism, so tell me if I should improve on something.

Anyway, note that the other chapters are not set in songfic/versefic style like this chapter. And of course, I in no way own NCIS. And the lyrics are from "Not Ready To Make Nice," by Dixie Chicks.

Anyway, enjoy!

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He knelt beside the grave, bowing his head. The whistling wind whispered its condolences as he slowly raised his head, eyes coming to a rest upon the headstone.

**R.I.P**

**Caitlin Todd**

**Beloved Colleague and Daughter**

**Killed In Action**

_**Forgive? Sounds good.**_

"Beloved Colleague".

But she had been more than that to him. So much more. And he had never told her. They had spoken, well, bickered and bantered endlessly with each other, and yet, he couldn't even tell her three simple words. Could he ever forgive himself for not letting her know just how much he cared? Maybe he could. Maybe he couldn't. Things involving Kate… just _remembering_ Kate… was just too painful and confusing.

_**Forget? I'm not sure I could.**_

He could still vividly picture her death in his mind. A rooftop. A gunshot.

And Kate.

Falling to the ground.

When he had seen her hit the cement, a bullet hole in her forehead, he had felt his world shatter. He had been planning to tell her how he felt soon. But he had left it to too late

_**They say… time heals everything**_

People had told him that he would move on, that the wounds would eventually heal. But it had been a year now and they still hadn't. He couldn't forget her; he couldn't stop regretting never telling her. He couldn't ignore the aching gap in his heart everytime he saw a picture of her, everytime he met someone with her name, everytime he came to work to no Kate.

He missed her.

Silently, Tony put the thirteen crimson roses down. Twelve real ones and one fake one; the last to show her exactly how long he would love her.

With a parting glance and a gentle sigh, he stood up and walked to his car, singing a soft tune on the way.

**Forgive? Sounds good.**

**Forget? I'm not sure I could.**

**They say…**

"**Time heals everything"**

**But I'm still waiting. **


	2. Something Sinister

Thanks for the reviews everyone. I've decided to put a second chapter up, so here it is. It's set in a different style. Most of the chapters will be written like this but there may be a few songfic-style chapters. Oh and sorry for the shortness of the first chapter. I handwrite my stories so I didn't realize it was that short when typed up.

This chapter has some more adult themes because of some allusions to rape, but I hope everyone's fine with it.

And please review. It's so inspiring to find people enjoy your story enough to comment.

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A pair of jealous blue eyes stared at the screen. He glared at the man placing down the thirteen roses. Twelve real, one fake. He knew what the fake rose was a symbol of.

_**No.**_

**_This is not right._**

The man left the room, angry thoughts clouding his mind.

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Somewhere relatively close by, thudding footsteps echoed along a dimly lit corridor. A pale hand turned a key and switched on a lightbulb. Harsh, fluorescent light seeped through the room.

A woman lay on a bed, sleeping. Her soft, brown hair framed her face. She was pretty but her true beauty was hidden underneath a myriad of fading bruises. A heart rate monitor, an IV tube and numerous other pieces of medical equipment lay scattered around her.

The man gently caressed the woman's cheek. She didn't respond. She hadn't for the last seven months. That was how long she'd been sleeping for. He sighed regretfully. Seven months and she still hadn't woken up.

"Caitlin, Caitlin, Caitlin," he scolded her. "Why must you ruin my plans like this?" Of course, she didn't answer.

Suddenly, the sound of a mobile phone ringing pierced the air.

"Yes?" the man asked roughly. A pause followed. "I understand. I'll be there".

He kissed Kate on the cheek then stood back. His glittering brown eyes gazed up and down her nightie-clad figure. It didn't help that it was sheer. A twisted smile crossed his lips as sick thoughts raced through his mind.

But he shook his head.

It would be breaking the rules. Besides, it would've been much more fun if she was actually awake.

Either way, he had business to attend to.

With a flick of a light switch and a slam of a door, the room was plunged into darkness once more.

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Tony started to pack up. He glanced briefly at Kate's old desk. A pang tugged at his heart and he quickly looked away.

Gibbs sauntered into the bullpen. "What are you doing?" he asked Tony, Ziva and McGee. "I didn't say we were done yet".

"Um, but Boss it's 5:30," McGee stuttered.

"I'm quite aware of the time," Gibbs said, raising a grey eyebrow. "There's a clock right behind you".

"Of course you know the time it's just that… uh…"

"Yes McGee?"

"Ummm… nothing Boss"

"Excellent". Gibbs took a casual sip from his ever-present coffee. "Yes Ziva?" he asked, as Ziva opened her mouth.

"I was just going to ask why we're staying".

"You think I wasn't about to tell you?"

"Um of course you were," Ziva replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Good," Gibbs said. He paused, glancing around. Placing the coffee down on the table, he began talking.

"We are staying here because an agent's life may be in danger"

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So, who's in trouble? Tony? Gibbs? Ziva or McGee? Or maybe he was referring to Kate?

Please review.


	3. Targeted

**A/N:** I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who is reading my story, and an even bigger thank you to my reviewers.

I just want to make something clear… **in chapter two, there were in fact two men**: one with blue eyes, and one with brown eyes. You'll find out more about them in this chapter. I didn't really make a distinction between them apart from their eye colour, so just clearing that up in case someone mistook them for one man.

By the way, can someone tell me how to add bio information to my homepage? I'm still sort of lost around here and I can't find the button. So help would be appreciated.

Anyway, onto the story!

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McGee stared at the screen in shock. He began to stammer. "How long have these men been following me? Who are they? What do they want from me?"

"It's been about two days now," Gibbs replied, as the footage of the two mysterious men in black played on the screen. "We don't know who they are or what they want from you. But we're about to find out".

He pressed a button on the remote control. The view switched to a live camera on the street outside the NCIS headquarters. A sleek, black car with tinted windows dominated the screen.

"Is that them?" McGee stuttered nervously.

"Yes".

A tense silence followed.

"Well, what do we do?" Ziva finally asked.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "I was waiting for someone to ask that. Ziva and Tony will leave work in their cars as normal. Once they're in a different block, they'll park and head back, without letting the men see them. They'll call when they're ready. McGee, you'll then walk out and go to the café on the next street. We'll wait for the men to pursue then Ziva and Tony will follow and apprehend them. Understood?"

"What if they shoot me?" McGee asked.

"Aw c'mon Probie, would I let that happen to you?" Tony smirked.

Gibbs whacked Tony on the head. "You're meant to be driving off by now," he glared. "And ignore him, McGee," he said after Tony stepped onto the lift.

"I don't know," McGee said slowly. "I have a bad feeling about this".

"So do I," Gibbs muttered inaudibly. He could tell there was more to this than it seemed.

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**Two days earlier**

Frankie Chezna entered the room. His brown eyes rested upon the blue-eyed man sitting at the table.

"You called," Frankie growled.

"Yes I did," the other man replied. "There's some… interesting footage here". He handed Frankie a portable DVD player.

"Watch," he stated simply.

Frankie gazed at the screen, at the man placing down the thirteen roses. He too knew the symbolism behind it. The video stopped and Frankie looked up.

"Who is it, Ric?" he asked.

"Tony Dinozzo. Colleague of Caitlin Todd".

"And apparently he was more than a colleague to her…"

Ric shook his head. "They never… got involved. Perhaps he admitted his feelings to her, but she turned him down".

"Or they may have been together, but hid it from their boss. That Gibbs is meant to be a son of a btch you know".

Ric looked away. "Maybe," he said.

"So... this Tony… He works at NCIS then?"

Ric nodded.

"Don't worry," Frankie smirked. "Tony may run into some trouble in the next few days".

"He better," Ric warned.

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**Outside NCIS headquarters, present time**

McGee strolled casually outside onto the street. He remembered Gibbs instructions clearly.

_C'mon Tim you can do this. Just act normally and walk to the café. And don't look back._

But he couldn't help it. He glanced quickly into the side mirror of a car and saw the two men sauntering behind him. Ziva and Tony were nowhere to be seen. But the calls had been made, and McGee knew they were there, somewhere.

He turned right and stepped onto the next street. The café was up ahead, only about 100 metres away. Checking behind him again in a car's side mirror, he saw the men were still there. But this time, he could spot Tony creeping surreptitiously along in the distance.

McGee began to grow nervous. The café was now only 50 metres away. Tony and Ziva would be apprehending the men soon.

McGee couldn't help but check behind him again, this time using the reflective surface of the sunglasses in a shop he passed. And as he watched, he saw the men reach for the inner pocket of their jackets.

McGee threw himself onto the ground.

Just like he had predicted, two gunshots pierced the evening air. But he needn't have worried. You see, after the men had got their weapons, they had whipped around and shot in Tony's direction.

After all, it was him, and not McGee, that they had been after all along.

**Review? **


	4. Unravelling

A/N: Hey everyone and I'm sooo sorry for the wait. I found this chapter sort of hard to write, and ended up rewriting it three times, so sorry it took me a while. And I'm getting a lot of homework at the moment so the next one may take a while as well. Anyway, just a shout out to my reviewers, thank you sooo much to HawkEye DownUnder, Wistful07, BuleTigress, shirik, ToplessLemon (thanks for showing me how to fill out the bio), ghilliekitten, DeereGirl, Marissa27 and CalleighDelko.

Anyway, hope you like the story.

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McGee lay still on the pavement for a moment, awaiting a bullet to whizz overhead or lodge itself in his body. But it didn't happen. McGee quickly stood up and turned around.

The bullets had missed Tony. He and Ziva were standing behind different cars, firing bullets. One of the two men was lying on the ground, clutching his ankle in pain. His partner on the other hand, had escaped, and was running down the street, somehow evading Tony's and Ziva's bullets.

Bolting into action, McGee ran after the man, also steadily firing.

"McGee, you idiot!" Ziva yelled. "Get out of my way or I'll end up shooting you!"

McGee moved to the left of the footpath, and fired again. The bullet cruised through the air and pierced the man's shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and fall to the ground.

Tony and Ziva moved quickly, arresting both of the men.

Out of nowhere, Gibbs sauntered up to the group. "Ziva, get these men into custody," he barked. Ziva hurried off, dragging the handcuffed men roughly towards NCIS headquarters.

"What happened?" McGee asked confusedly. "Why didn't the bullets come towards me?"

Gibbs and Tony looked at each other.

"They weren't after you," Tony finally said. "They were after me".

"But… they were following me, not you," McGee mumbled, still not comprehending the situation.

"They were baiting us," Gibbs explained. "Somehow, they knew what our plan would be once we found out someone had been following you. They figured out a way to make us leave Tony in a more vulnerable position. Inadvertently, of course".

"But how could they have known?" McGee asked, finally understanding.

Gibbs began to walk back to Headquarters. "Come, and we'll find out".

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The team was in the NCIS squadroom, discussing the situation. The two shooters were being treated for their gun shot wounds but were under heavy security. They would be ready for interrogation soon.

Tony was sitting at his desk, being rather quiet. But it was a normal reaction. Finding out someone wanted to kill you was always a big shock. Being a Federal Agent meant your life was constantly in danger, but having someone _specifically_ target you? That was new.

"Okay, so," Gibbs' voice rung commandingly. "Why are these men after Tony?"

McGee began talking. "Well, if it helps Boss there were ID cards in the men's wallets. The guy who was shot in the shoulder is Miguel Elchez and the one who was shot in the ankle is David Larido. I'm finding their files now."

"Know them?" Gibbs asked Tony. He shook his head.

"Wait Boss, there's more," McGee spoke. "The ID cards show that these men are part of an organisation, probably terrorist or illegal. Tony won't know them because the men aren't after Tony personally, but are working for someone who is. The only problem, is who?"

McGee's computer suddenly beeped.

"Their records are clean," McGee read out. "Even their medical files are. They've never even had a cavity". Then his expression grew strange. "There's some classified FBI information on both of these men though. I'll try to hack into it".

Gibbs nodded thoughtfully.

"McGee," Ziva said suddenly. "Those ID cards… did they have a logo of some sort?

"Why yes…" McGee said slowly. "It was a red crescent moon. Not a symbol of any group I've heard of".

"Well I may have heard of it. Bring up information about Hasalli".

A large, red crescent moon appeared on the screen. "Why, this is the same logo!" McGee exclaimed.

"Bring it up on the big screen," Gibbs commanded.

"This terrorist group is quite small, having only several hundred members. It's got bases all over the US. It's quite spread out, really. Hasalli is headed by a group of about 20 men. They're referred to as the Heads. The other members work for these men. They are simply given assignments and follow them. Normally people or countries hire Hasalli to do dirty work, so it's like Hire-A-Terrorist, but occasionally, the Heads have their workers fulfill personal assignments. They have also been known to set assignments just for fun. Hasalli normally target individuals or small organisations."

A silence ensued after Ziva's speech.

"So…" Gibbs said slowly. "We have to find the Heads of this Hasalli and find out who hired the two men to go after Tony. Or if one of the Heads were after Tony for a personal reason…"

Gibbs' phone rang. A short conversation followed and then, Gibbs hung up.

"It may appear a few of our questions will be answered," Gibbs said. "One of the men, Miguel Elchez, has been released and is in the interrogation room".

Tony and Ziva followed after Gibbs, whilst McGee remained, hacking away into the files.

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Meanwhile, a certain Frankie Chezna was sitting at his desk, tapping his fingers on the wooden surface.

The door opened and a familiar blue-eyed man entered the room.

"Ric," Frankie greeted.

Ric stared stonily back in reply. "How did the job go?" he asked.

Frankie looked away. "I'm afraid there was a complication".

Ric glared fiercely at Frankie. "He's still alive, isn't he?"

"We underestimated him, and his reflexes. Don't worry though," Frankie comforted. "He will be dealt with".

Ric groaned. "I may just deal with him myself".

"No!" Frankie growled. "I told you to leave any business to me".

Ric sighed impatiently. "Fine. But make sure the job's done". Abruptly, he left the room, leaving Frankie alone, absorbed in his thoughts.

Frankie's phone rang. He picked up.

"Frankie..." the voice said. "You know the two men you hired? I'm afraid there's gonna be a bit of trouble…"

"You mean something even worse than the fact they're currently shot and in NCIS's custody, probably being interrogated right now?" Frankie asked nervously.

"Yes… something a lot worse than that"

**Hehehe... hated it? Loved it? Review it!**


	5. A Deadly Plan

**A/N: **This went out earlier than I expected it to. But the next one will take a while longer. Thanks once again to everyone taking their time to read my story, and an even bigger thanks to my reviewers.

Hope you enjoy this chapter. For once I didn't have to rewrite anything!

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Gibbs stormed into the interrogation room.

"Miguel Elchez," he stated, staring at the man coldly.

The man looked up, a trace of a coy smirk on his face. "You've got this all wrong, _Sir_. I'm no criminal."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows. _What was this idiot playing at?_

"Unfortunately for you, Mr. Elchez, attempted murder, especially on a Federal Agent, is a crime. Oh, and so is being a terrorist. So sorry, but committing a crime makes you a criminal".

The man smirked.

"Of course all that is illegal. Unless…" The man leaned back on his chair. "…you're an FBI agent working undercover".

Gibbs stared at the man, then ran out of the room towards the Director's office.

From the other side of the glass, Tony and Ziva turned to look at each other, speechless at this turn of events.

"Is he serious?" Ziva asked.

"Possibly," Tony replied.

Just then, a panting McGee burst into the room. "Guys, where's Gibbs? There's something I have to tell him".

Tony assumed his "You're-a-Probie-and-I'll-make-sure-you-won't-forget-it" mode.

"Well _Probie_, Gibbs is in the Director's office. But whatever you have to say can surely be shared with us as well"

McGee stared helplessly at Tony for a moment, but then began to stammer. "Um… of course. The guy in there and his partner David Larido aren't criminals. They'r-"

"FBI agents?" Tony suggested.

McGee looked dumbfoundedly at him. "But… how'd you find out? I only just hacked…"

"I thought you already knew, _Probie_. I certainly did," Tony boasted.

Luckily for McGee, before Tony could mock him any further, Gibbs sauntered into the interrogation room, diverting everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

Gibbs sat down on the chair opposite Miguel Elchez.

"Okay, so you're an FBI agent," Gibbs stated. "Now tell me exactly how two FBI agents came to shoot at an NCIS agent. I didn't know our relations were _that_ bad".

Miguel Elchez sat up. "David and I have been working undercover for Hasalli for a year and a half. The FBI decided we'd gained enough info for now and decided to pull us out. But just before we were going to fake our deaths on an assignment in Philadelphia, we got a new one: To target an Anthony Dinozzo. We found out the guy was a Federal Agent so the FBI changed the plan. We'd fake our own capture. Why do you think we missed your agent? Hasalli is a group of highly trained terrorists. We had an element of surprise on your agent. We could've easily killed him. But no, we deliberately misaimed".

Gibbs sat quietly pondering for a minute or two.

"Who's after my agent?" Gibbs asked finally.

"Head #18. Or that's who would know anyway. We don't know his name. But I'm sure my boss does".

Gibbs cursed silently. He _loved_ working with the FBI.

"You may know him. Tobias Fornell," Agent Elchez continued.

Gibbs felt a slight sense of relief at not having to work with some hostile stranger.

Gibbs' mobile phone rang. "Fornell," he greeted.

"Good afternoon Jethro. Just wondering when my men will be released. Be thankful it's my agents with gun shot wounds, and not your Anthony Dinozzo. It was purely luck this assignment was handed to them".

"Of course Tobias," Gibbs replied. "Of course"

Gibbs left the interrogation room, continuing his discussion outside.

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Frankie Chezna gripped his phone tightly.

"WHAT?' he exploded. This was bad. Very bad.

"How can they be FBI agents? Do you have any idea how much trouble…?"

The voice on the other end offered a hurried apology then hung up to avoid an argument.

Frankie slowly put his phone down and buried his head in his hands.

The plan he had been working on for the past year was slowly crumbling. God… what if the FBI agents knew who he was? What if he was caught? How could he get his revenge then?

Frankie stood up and walked outside to a dim corridor. He entered a room.

An NCIS agent was lying in a coma on the bed. He smirked. Caitlin Todd was always a good person to visit when he was stuck for ideas. He settled down on the chair beside her bed.

Ah… Caitlin… she had been a major part of his plan for revenge. But now, she was acting like a burden. Ever since he had captured her, she had been uncooperative and feisty. Although he didn't really mind the feisty part. Even when he had tortured her, she had still kept up the irritating "untouchable" act. So what if he shouldn't have lost his temper that day, seven months ago? It's not as if he had intended to put her in a coma when he began to beat her. She hadn't gone into comatose the numerous times he had beaten her before.

Frankie sighed. If she didn't wake up, Ric would kill him. NO. He mustn't think like that. Of course, she'd wake up. She _had_ to wake up.

And when she did, he would have a weapon against her: Tony Dinozzo. Whatever Ric said, his intuition told him she cared for him too. His intuition also told him putting Tony in a life-or-death situation would cause Kate to suddenly become a lot more co-operative.

Abruptly, he stood up and walked out of the room. What he had to do had suddenly become clear.

Screw what Ric wanted.

Anthony Dinozzo would remain alive.

That Gibbs on the other hand…

Gibbs _couldn't_ find out about his plans for revenge.

Frankie Chezna smirked maliciously. This time, there would be no undercover FBI agents to ruin his plans. This job would be done personally.

He walked along the corridor with four words ringing in his mind.

_Destroy Leroy Jethro Gibbs._

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**A/N**_: Muahahaha. Just a little insight into how Kate got into the coma and an inkling of Frankie's motives and plans. **Review?**_


	6. Dreaming and Seeming

_**A/N: **Sorry about the wait. Getting so much homework. Sorry about the lack of Tate in these chapters. The focus is more on drama right now, but there will be a lot more romance later on._

_Oh yes is it true we have to double space in our stories or something? Because I read that somewhere but just wondering if it's ture._

_Anyway, enjoy, and please review._

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She dreamt of him that night. Or was it day? She couldn't tell.

But the dream… It had been so real. His light scent had pervaded her nose, his smirk had warmed her eyes. It was so… familiar. The bickering words emerging from his mouth…

She missed him. She missed the whole team.

She wanted to go home.

But she couldn't.

She couldn't break free of this black darkness that had gripped her.

The aching feelings of homesickness billowed within her. Agitatedly, she fought the darkness. But it was pointless.

The inkling of consciousness she had gained faded and her brain went blank once more. Kate slipped back into her peaceful, never-ending sleep.

No one would know anything unusual had happened, except for the machines that had just recorded her heightened brain activity and heart rate.

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Gibbs entered the bullpen. All three of his agents were on their computers, researching into Hasalli and in particular, Head #18.

"Ah-ha!" McGee suddenly exclaimed. Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry Boss," McGee said meekly. "Just excited".

Gibbs stared stonily back.

"Oh right... sign of weakness".

There was an awkward silence as Tony and Ziva watched on interestedly.

McGee finally took up the courage to speak again. "The FBI managed to hack into Hasalli's database, where they keep records of assignments, agents and the Heads. However, the database was heavily encrypted and the FBI was unable to break the code. I, on the other hand, have just managed to decode the files. Head #18 is a Nick Ferezanah. He's relatively new to the group, having been a Head for only six months. He's ordered 7 assignments, the latest being well, Tony".

"What exactly did the assignment for Tony say?" Gibbs asked.

McGee read from the screen. "Target: Anthony Michael Dinozzo. Senior Field Agent. NCIS. Be cautious- target skilled with firearms. It doesn't say whether this assignment was ordered by the Head himself or by a client"

"Good. Ziva, McGee find out where I can find this Nick Ferezanah. Tony come with me".

A look of surprise crossed Tony's face but he stood up anyway and followed Gibbs down the elevator and onto the street.

"So Tony… how are you handling things?" Gibbs asked.

Tony replied sarcastically. "You mean the whole 'someone's trying to kill me' thing? Oh, just fine".

Gibbs stopped walking. "Look Tony," he said seriously. "You're part of my team and I'll be damned if I let some son of a btch kill one of my agents. Understand?"

Tony nodded silently. But in his head he couldn't help but painedly think "You couldn't save Kate".

"Don't worry Dinozzo," Gibbs said, patting him on the shoulder. "You're safe. We'll protect you".

Tony smiled weakly. This conversation was getting a little cosy and intimate for him. "Hey Boss, I'm just going to get a burger from the McDonalds over there, okay?

Gibbs nodded his consent. "Be back in fifteen minutes at the most, Dinozzo," he ordered.

Gibbs stared after Tony for a moment, then turned and walked into Starbucks. However, if he hadn't been absorbed in getting his daily coffee fix, he may have noticed the brown-eyed man gazing intently at him.

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Frankie Chezna snorted as he listened to the conversation.

"Don't worry Dinozzo. You're safe. We'll protect you"

Gibbs was right. Dinozzo needn't worry. _His_ life was safe. For now.

Frankie smirked as he saw Dinozzo leave to get some food. _Good._ Gibbs was alone.

Frankie's brown eyes traced Gibbs' steps into Starbucks. He cursed. The area was too crowded. Impatiently, he grazed his fingertips across the surface of his gun. Then, placing his sunglasses on, he got out of his black Mercedes. Frankie leaned back against the car. Gibbs would come out soon.

_Ah. There he was._

Frankie smiled. It didn't matter if he was caught. He had the perfect plan to get out of that anyway. He raised his gun and took aim.

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Tony took a bite out of his Big Mac. He glanced at his watch. He had made the time limit of 15 minutes.

A glinting object caught his eye. It was shiny, black and strangely familiar.

A gun.

Being held in a man's hand.

And being aimed towards Gibbs.

Tony dropped his burger and ran towards the man. As the man's finger edged towards the trigger, Tony struck him in a flying tackle. The gun went off and the bullet smashed through a red Lexus' window.

Tony and Frankie wrestled violently on the ground. Tony jabbed his elbows sideways. Frankie's gun flew to the footpath, out of his reach. Suddenly, a strong force lifted Frankie off the ground and pinned his hands together with a pair of handcuffs. Gibbs grunted and shoved Frankie towards Tony.

"Get him into custody," Gibbs growled.

Tony obeyed, muttering about lost burgers on the way.

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In the interrogation room, Frankie was tapping his fingers on the wooden table. Damn that Dinozzo. If it wasn't for him, Gibbs would be dead.

_Oh well. It wouldn't help to dwell on the past._

The door opened and Gibbs entered the room. He sat down on the chair.

Frankie stared blankly ahead.

"You'll get bored of the statue act eventually," Gibbs warned.

Frankie didn't move.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Look, you're in big enough trouble as it is. You may as well help yourself out".

Frankie moved suddenly, propping his elbows on the table.

"I refuse to talk to you. Send in Tony Dinozzo. I'll talk to him, and him only".

Gibbs stared at Frankie, and then left the room.

He entered the room on the other side of the mirror. "Dinozzo," he ordered. "Get him to talk".

Tony nodded and entered the interrogation room.

Frankie grinned. This was going perfectly.

"Mr. Anthony Dinozzo," he greeted. "How are you?"

Tony glared at him with a gaze of pure ice. "I'm not here to chit-chat. You're going to answer my questions, whether you want to or not".

Frankie shook his head. "No… that's not how it's going to work. You're going to release me, whether you want to or not".

_This guy is crazy_. "And why would we release you?" Tony asked.

Frankie didn't answer. "Let me ask you something, Tony. You miss Caitlin Todd very much, correct?"

Something stirred within Tony's heart but he kept his face as an impassive mask.

"Her death affected us all," he said simply.

"And it affected you in particular didn't it?" Frankie probed. "Considering the ah, symbolic, roses you gave her. I'd say there was quite an office affair going on..."

Tony growled. Was this man rubbing in the face he'd never told Kate? That maybe, if he'd told her three simple words they could've been together? But he shoved those thoughts aside, as a creepier one took over. _Was this man stalking him?_

"Stop playing games. There was nothing between me and Kate. We were only colleagues".

"Of course, of course," Frankie yawned. He reached into his pockets, and took out a photo and a clear packet, placing them on the table.

Tony cautiously picked up the photo. It was a strangely familiar photograph, but it took him a moment for the shock to register. The photo was of a bruised and battered Kate.

Tony's heart began to beat wildly. Could she possibly be alive? Beaten perhaps, but alive?

Frankie's voice disturbed his cloudy, racing thoughts. "Yes, Tony. Caitlin is alive. If you want proof, the hairs in the packet are hers. Freshly plucked follicles to prove they were taken recently".

Tony didn't speak. He couldn't. And on the other side of the glass, Gibbs and McGee were having similar reactions.

Frankie's voice rang out. "And now, you are going to release me. You see, if you keep me here, your dear little Caitlin won't have anyone to give her food and water. She'll starve and die, and you won't have anyone but yourself to blame for her death. You let me go, she stays alive. _But_, there are conditions. You can't follow me, or place a tracking device on me. Try anything, and she dies. I'll send you footage of her last moments if you wish. So the deal is, you set me free, and I'll send back evidence that she is alive. I find you haven't obeyed the rules, I'll send back footage of her death".

Frankie's demands settled in the air as a thick, tense silence.

On the other side of the mirror, Gibbs buried his head in his hands. _What the hell was he going to do?_

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_**A/N:** Muahaha. What will Gibbs do? Is Frankie going to be released? Please review- they make me happier than Abby and a lifetime's supply of Caf-Pows._


	7. Decisions, Lies and Unanswered Questions

_**A/N: **Sorry about the wait. But I have three assignments to do, including a science fair project and I have no idea what to do for a "creative and original" experiment –sigh-. This chapter's a bit shorter but the ending was a good place to cut off. Oh, and to akate, this chapter isn't exactly happy, but can I get my mark anyway? Haha._

_Oh, and by the way everyone, _I am planning to have a sequel_. Got several ideas for it already but I can't tell you too much or I'll be telling you what happens in this story. _

_Anyway, hope you like this chapter!_

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Gibbs kept his head still, letting the breeze ruffle through his hair. It was sunset, and veils of red and pink were mingling with curtains of sapphire and violet.

Gibbs was stuck in a mental rut. His team thought of him as invincible, as always having an answer. But they were wrong. This time, he had no answer.

This bastard of a Frankie Chezna had Kate. Abby had confirmed that the hair sample was Kate's and that it had been taken recently. The problem was, could he let the bastard go, especially without foul play? What if he killed her anyway?

Gibbs couldn't imagine losing Kate all over again. The burden that had weighed on his soul after her death still lingered in his mind. He had lost comrades before, but it hadn't compared to Kate's death. Maybe it was because she was female. Maybe it was because she had been part of _his_ team. Although he didn't like to admit it, maybe it was because…

_No._ It wouldn't do to think about the grief he had felt when he had thought she'd died. She was alive now and he had to save her. That was all that mattered.

Gibbs already knew that he would have to let Frankie Chezna go and also abide by his conditions. He couldn't possibly risk Kate's life. And that's what he really hated. He didn't have the upper hand in this situation. That Chezna guy could manipulate him in any way he wished, and Gibbs would be helpless.

But Gibbs had also noticed there was something strange about the way Dinozzo had acted. When Chezna had asked him about Kate, Gibbs swore that he had seen a glimmer of regret in Tony's eyes. And when Chezna had asked about him and Kate being more than just colleagues, Tony had actually replied. Dinozzo knew better than to reply to a personal question during interrogations. It was just a tactic to unnerve the questioner. But he had replied. And when Chezna had mentioned "an office affair", it had sent Gibbs' mind into overload. Had Tony and Kate…?

"_Stop it"_ he told himself. He had to focus on the situation happening now.

Gibbs walked across the roof then went down the stairs. He knew before he released Chezna, he had to try and get some answers first.

---------------------------------------------

Frankie looked up as Gibbs strode into the interrogation room. He smiled in a mock-friendly way. "Good evening," Frankie greeted. "Reached your decision yet?"

Gibbs glared at Frankie. "You already know what I'm going to do," he conceded. "But before I release you, I want you to answer some questions."

Frankie grinned cheekily. "Unfortunately for you though, I don't have to answer anything I don't want to. _I_ control the situation here."

Gibbs ignored him and ploughed on. "What do you want from Kate? How did you fake her death? Why did you try to kill me? Were you behind the attack on my agent Tony Dinozzo?"

Frankie stood up. "I choose to leave those questions unanswered. You are an investigative service. You can investigate… although I doubt you'll find the answers to your questions."

He paused briefly then said, "I also choose to leave now."

Frankie walked out of the interrogation room, leaving a blank silence behind. There was no resistance from Gibbs. On the other side of the mirror, his team also reluctantly stayed put.

As Frankie stepped out onto the street, he smiled. He knew they wouldn't try anything. Not when their precious Kate's life was at risk.

This was going perfectly.

His plan for revenge had rebuilt itself and this time, it was even better than before.

_NCIS was going **down**._

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Gibbs gathered his team in the bullpen. "Okay," he commanded. "We have three important cases to work on. Case A, Kate. Where is she? How can we save her? Case B, why did Mr. Frankie Chezna try to shoot me? These two cases are linked. Solve one and we can probably solve the other. Case C, who tried to kill Tony? It may be our friend Mr. Chezna, it may not be."

Tony's heart jolted suddenly at Gibbs' speech. He had only recently discovered Kate was alive and he was still in shock over it. But Gibbs had brought him back to Earth. Not only did he have to save Kate, he had to protect himself. He had only just remembered someone was trying to kill him.

"Tony and McGee, you focus on Kate," Gibbs continued. "Find out about this Frankie Chezna. Examine the photo carefully to see if it gives a clue to where she is. Find out when he kidnapped her. Find out how he kidnapped her. I don't care what you do, just somehow find her. Ziva, you work on finding this Nick Ferezanah and Hasalli. See who's after Tony. Oh, and Dinozzo come and see me for a minute."

McGee and Ziva began studiously working away and Tony followed Gibbs to a quiet corner in the NCIS headquarters.

"Dinozzo," Gibbs stated seriously. "I need to know something. Is what that Chezna guy said true? Was there an 'office affair' going on? And what's this thing about symbolic roses? Did you, I mean do you have feeling for Kate?"

Tony thought rapidly. There was now way he could tell Gibbs the truth. He'd probably get pulled off the case for being too emotionally attached to the victim.

When Kate had died, he had felt enormous surges of guilt. It should've been him who had died, not her. But now, she was alive. And he had to be there to save her.

"I don't like Kate like that. I mean, come on, she'd shoot me if I even tried to ask her out on a date. He was just trying to unnerve you. There was nothing between me and Kate. We were only colleagues."

_Only colleagues._ The words stung Tony, a reminder of all he should've said. A reminder of that recent day he had visited her grave and had reeled at the "beloved colleague" inscription on her headstone. Kate had been so much more to him…

Gibbs's voice sliced through Tony's thoughts. "And the roses?" Gibbs asked skeptically.

"It was her one year death anniversary. Just a sign of remembrance," Tony replied, as casually as he could.

Gibbs stared at him then nodded thoughtfully. "It seems as if this Frankie guy has been following you. You should tell Ziva that. It may help her."

There was a pause and then a gruff 'get back to work'.

Tony walked back to the bullpen. Gibbs had been acting strangely. As he had questioned Tony about Kate, Gibbs had assumed a protective voice... with what surely couldn't be… jealousy? Testosterone built up in Tony's body. Gibbs couldn't possibly care for Kate like that. The guy hated office relationships. Well... Tony had seen Kate and Gibbs flirting a few times but…

Tony sat down at his desk and shook his head. He couldn't believe he was thinking such juvenile thoughts. There was Kate to save. Tony turned on his computer and began to work on what we could regard as the most personal case of his life.

---------------------------------------------

And whilst NCIS was working away and Frankie continued to walk along a street, a finger twitched slightly.

The finger of a woman who had been sleeping for seven months.

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_**A/N: **Teeheehee. Is Kate going to wake up soon? Does Gibbs have feelings towards Kate (poor Tony if he does!) or is it just Tony's jealous imagination? ** Review?**_


	8. And the Games Begin

_**A/N: **How fitting… I typed this up whilst watching NCIS. Had to edit it though so it took a while. _

_Just a question… can anyone tell me how to get more than two genres listed for my story? I've seen stories with three e.g. suspense/action/romance but I only have options for two._

_Oh and as for the last chapter, just remember Gibbs doesn't necessarily like Kate. And I won't reveal how he really feels for quite a while._

_Anyway hope you enjoy the chapter. It's ridiculously longer than all the other ones I've written._

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Frankie smiled smugly as he opened the door to his office. His hand fumbled for the light switch, then he realised it was already on. As he looked up, he saw Ric sitting stonily at the table.

"Frankie," Ric greeted. He spoke in a quiet voice, one which foreboded a warning.

"Look Ric…" Frankie said soothingly, trying to prevent a fight. "If this is about that Dino-"

Ric stood up and slammed his fists against the table. "OF COURSE THIS IS ABOUT HIM!" he yelled agitatedly. "HE'S MEANT TO BE DEAD!!"

"Look Ric… I don't think that's the best solution for this…"

"You _promised_ he'd be dealt with, Frankie! You PROMISED!"

"Okay, okay… He will be dealt with… Just not in the way you're thinking…"

Ric made a gesture for him to continue.

"I think that killing him won't be any fun… I'd rather keep him alive… mess with his head… torture him a little…" Frankie smiled maliciously.

Ric sat back down on the chair, mollified. His blue eyes glinted with cruelty. "So… we kidnap him… and… have some fun?"

"No, no, Ric," Frankie sighed. "You may not know this now, but messing with the heart's emotions is one of the most painful forms of torture."

"Oh shut up Frankie with the love crap. Just because you had ONE serious relationship wit-"

Frankie's hand lashed out and hit Ric's cheek in a resounding slap. Its thwack echoed around the room.

"Don't you dare cross that line, Ric," he warned quietly.

Ric restrained himself, trying not to hit back.

"Remember Ric, you need me," Frankie reminded. "You know that if you do the job, you'll get caught and be sent to prison. And I daresay you didn't enjoy it the last time you were there."

Ric remained quietly still.

Frankie continued speaking. "And now, back to the little plan I have in mind for Mr. Anthony Dinozzo…"

------------------------------------------

Ziva stared thoughtfully at her computer screen. She had been looking at Hasalli's file on the assignment for Tony for half an hour now and she still hadn't found anything helpful. Just as she was about to close the window, another window popped up.

**Database updated. See new changes?**

Ziva hurriedly clicked on yes. The page refreshed and showed new data. Underneath the information McGee had already read out, there was a new paragraph.

**Assignment Status: Unsuccessful. Rogue agents Error 107.**

At the bottom of that were two more lines.

**Head Identification No. : 18**

**Client: N/A**

Ziva thought rapidly. N/A for client meant there was no client. Meaning the Head himself had ordered the attack.

Another window Ziva had opened suddenly beeped. She clicked on it. It was the Immigration Department's records.

Ferezanah had sounded like a foreign name. But there was nobody with that name on the database's records.

'_Strange,'_ Ziva thought.

Gibbs entered the bullpen, a warm coffee in his hands. 'Anything, Ziva?' he asked.

'Only that Tony's attack was ordered by Nick Ferezanah himself. Can't find any info on the guy though..."

"Actually, Tony's attack might've been ordered by someone else. But that person might not have had to pay for perhaps blackmail reasons, or because they were a friend or relative. That would mean there was no money exchanged, and hence, no client was noted," Ziva added as an afterthought.

Gibbs nodded. "Good work. Go have a break. You've been working for ages now."

Ziva smiled gratefully and walked out of the bullpen. Gibbs rarely gave breaks.

But unlike most people, she didn't go and buy some food. She went down to see Ducky.

As Ziva entered the medical lab, Ducky was working away, performing an autopsy on a deformed body. He looked up as she came in, an expression of surprise fleeting across his face.

"Ziva… I didn't expect to see you down here. I'm not working on any cases for you, am I? Or maybe I am… Oh dear, it seems that with my old age, my memory is deteriorating. I remember my grandfather…"

Ziva interrupted Ducky before he launched into his life's tale. "I'm not here to talk about a case." She looked away. "I'm here because I don't know who else to talk to about this."

Ducky stared at her, and then peeled off his gloves to stand behind her. "What is it, Ziva?"

"It's just… you know that Kate's alive now right?"

Ducky nodded. "Why of course. Jethro was just down here…"

"Yeah well, it's like everyone doesn't think I care about Kate. Tony and McGee are working on finding her, but Gibbs told me to work on Tony's case. I mean, it's like they think that because I wasn't part of their original team, I don't care as much. I mean, I probably don't, but seriously, since when did I get this Miss I-don't-care-about-anyone reputation?"

Ducky sighed. "Oh Ziva…"

He wrapped his arms around her. For a minute, he swore he saw a glimmer of frustrated tears twinkle in her eyes. But then she blinked and the moment dissipated. Ducky shrugged it off. He must have imagined it. Ziva didn't cry.

"Ziva, I'm sure they aren't excluding you. I'm sure Gibbs is just taking advantage of the fact that Tony and Timothy have a more… personal attachment to Kate. He probably believes it'll make them work harder. It's nothing against you Ziva. Besides you're the best to work on Tony's case. It wouldn't do for Tony to work on his own attempted murder and McGee is still rather well, Probie-like. And the Miss Uncaring image was just a first impression. We know you better than that now..."

Ziva nodded and smiled slightly. He made sense. Tony and McGee actually did seem to be working harder. She had never seen Tony not muck around whilst working on a case.

"Thanks Ducky," she said as she walked towards the elevator.

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Two rows of slightly yellowed teeth glinted as two lips curved into a malevolent smile. A pair of satisfied eyes ran down the letter.

_To Anthony Michael Dinozzo,_

_I hope you have enjoyed your life so far. After all, it may end soon. _

_I'm after you._

_**Let the games begin.**_

_- You know who I am_

The letter was neatly folded and gloved hands slid it into the embossed envelope.

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Kate lay on the bed, as still as ever. But inside her mind, things were far from stationary.

She was dreaming. Again. They had been coming more frequently now. Memories of the team… Dreams about being rescued… And most strangely, fantasies… a surprising amount being about Tony.

She smiled mentally. The pictures in her mind whirled around. And then she was dreaming of Tony. She was in his arms, kissing him gently on the lips. Gently, yet passionately.

And then there was Gibbs, rescuing her from a black dragon, her protector as always.

_Hmm… black dragon… how strange. But then, dreams rarely make sense._

And then Abby appeared. They were in a cave filled with bats, happily girl-talking away… and then McGee materialised… only to have a mountain load of computers fall of top of him.

_My dreams are seriously warped._

But then, it all faded to one image. An image of the team, that Kate had sitting on her shelf back at her apartment.

Homesickness raged through her.

She wanted to go home. She had been waiting for the team to come for god-knows-how-long now… but they hadn't come for her. Had they forgotten her? Had they given up?

Ages ago, she had refused to acknowledge those questions. They would come. They hadn't forgotten. Gibbs wouldn't let them give up. But so much time had passed and she was still here.

Maybe they had forgotten about her. Moved on. She had sudden images of Tony with some blonde, curvaceous female. The thought hurt like hell. It was only when she had been kidnapped that she had realised how she felt about Tony. But images of a knight in shining armour had faded to images of a juvenile manwhore who would only want her for her body. Not that he even found her attractive. But what she hated the most was that she still loved, dreamt… fantasised about him, even though she could never have him, even if she wasn't kidnapped.

Waves of despair, sadness and in a way, betrayal washed over her.

But then, everything disappeared and the impenetrable blackness dominated once more.

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Ten minutes later, the door in Kate's room clicked open. Frankie Chezna walked in.

He strolled over to her bed, a cruel touch in his smile.

He had such a big decision to make. Who to mess with first? Gibbs or Dinozzo?

Merely several days ago, he had been intent on killing Gibbs. After all, he was the one more likely to discover his plans for revenge and ruin them.

But Ric wanted Dinozzo to be dealt with. And Frankie hated getting into fights with Ric.

_Oh well._

They were just little puppets in his games. It didn't matter who he targeted.

And he had one big weapon against them. A Miss Caitlin Todd.

Suddenly, he noticed something peculiar.

Standing beside a medical device, he pressed a few buttons. A long sheet of paper printed out. He stared at it in wonder.

Over the past few days, Kate's brain activity levels had sky-rocketed to the level of a conscious, non-comatose person.

Frankie wasn't a doctor. But he was smart. He knew what that meant.

A conniving smile crossed his lips.

She was going to wake up soon.

And then, his games would _really_ begin.

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_**A/N: **Frankie is sooo evil! _

_So many questions. Who wrote that letter? It could be Frankie or Ric, or an entirely new person. What are Frankie's plans for the team? And what are Kate's and Ziva's feelings leading to? **Please review. **_


	9. Meet Miss Airiton

**_A/N: _**_My god, I'm so sorry about the wait. You see, I had it all typed up, but then my computer crashed. Meaning I had to type it all over again. _

_But as a reward, this chapter is longer than most._

_Hope you like the chapter!_

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Tony and Ziva walked into the bullpen, refreshed after a brief lunch break. McGee glanced up momentarily, then determinedly went back to his computer.

"Hey Tony, you got a letter," McGee called.

Tony strolled to his desk and peered at it cautiously.

"What's wrong?" Ziva asked. "Scared of a little letter?"

"Of course not," Tony replied. "I mean, the last time I opened a letter at work, I _only_ got the plague."

"Long story," he abruptly replied to Ziva's questioning look.

Tony stared at the envelope. "_To Anthony Michael Dinozzo"_ it said on the front. A suspicious feeling crawled through Tony. Nobody called him by his full name.

"You going to open it?" Ziva asked curiously from her desk.

Tony hesitated. "I don't know. It's kinda suspicious. I mean, that H embossed in the top right corner… it's totally unfamil-"

He was cut off by a shrill cry from Ziva. "Drop it!" she exclaimed. Ziva ran over to Tony's desk and examined the envelope Tony had hastily let go of.

Ziva paled underneath her already pale complexion.

"Something wrong?" Tony ventured.

Ziva took a deep breath. "That H embossed there… I've been looking at it constantly lately. This letter is from Hasalli."

An icy tremor of fear crept through Tony, leaving him more chilled than a crypt on a winter's night.

McGee sidled over to examine the envelope as well. "Look, in each corner of the H is a small letter… no, a Roman numeral. There's two on the bottom left corner. If you read them clockwise starting from the top left corner they say XVIII."

Ziva picked up McGee's trail of thought. "XVIII… eighteen." She glanced at the envelope. "Number eighteen… Head #18. I think this is from our mysterious friend Nick Ferenazah…"

A silence ensued.

But then, Gibbs sauntered into the squadroom, a coffee in his hand. "Got anything on Kate?" he asked his huddled team.

There was no response. Finally, Ziva spoke up. "I think there's something else we have to focus on at the moment…"

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In an office somewhere, a mobile phone was ringing. A pale hand grabbed it and pressed Call Accept.

"Mr. Ferenazah?" the voice on the other end asked.

"That's me," the man replied.

"Just confirming that the assignment you requested has been successfully completed. The recipient has not opened the letter yet though. It is currently in the hands of an NCIS lab technician, an Abby Sciuto."

Nick Ferenazah smiled. "Good," he replied.

He pressed the Call End button and placed his phone back in his pocket, a trace of a cruel smirk lingering on his lips.

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Tony stared down at the letter. Its contents sent a shiver surging through him.

_To Anthony Michael Dinozzo,_

_I hope you have enjoyed your life so far. After all, it may end soon. _

_I'm after you._

**_Let the games begin._**

_- You know who I am_

The words chiseled into his mind. He could be dead soon. Someone was after him.

But the last line was the scariest. "Let the games begin." There was more to come. And he had no idea what.

Abby had declared the envelope safe a few minutes ago. No powders, no objects, no foreign substances. All the envelope contained was a letter.

Tony wished that it had contained some unknown substance. Then, Abby would've found out and would've never let him touch the letter. That way, he wouldn't have had to read this.

His thoughts were broken as Gibbs entered the bullpen, followed by an attractive blonde woman.

"This is the woman who placed the letter on your desk," Gibbs introduced. "Her name is Jessica and she works here as a receptionist."

Jessica smiled. "Hi," she greeted somewhat shyly.

Gibbs frowned slightly. "Miss Airiton, how did you come across the letter?"

"I don't know… it was just with the regular mail. I figured it was an agent here, so I looked him up and placed it on his desk."

"So you didn't see who handed in the letter?" Gibbs asked rather disappointedly.

"Sorry no…" Jessica Airiton replied. "It was probably just the postman."

"Okay. Thanks for your help."

Gibbs turned away. "McGee!" he yelled. "Examine the security footage of the mailbox. See if anything useful turns up."

As Gibbs left the squadroom, everybody went back to their work.

"Um, excuse me?" a dainty female voice right in front of Tony asked. He looked up, startled. It was Jessica Airiton. Tony found that if he looked straight ahead, he would be staring right at her…

A hand waved in front of Tony's face and he quickly returned to reality. Past the busty blonde's shoulders, he could see Ziva peering at him interestedly.

"Yes?" Tony finally asked.

"I'm just wondering… did you happen to know Kate?"

The question took Tony by surprise. "Yes… I was her colleague."

"Oh… that's nice…" The woman sighed, eyes drifting away.

Tony saw tears glisten in the woman's eyes. "Um, Miss Airiton? Are you okay?" he asked concernedly.

"Oh, yes, sorry," Jessica said tearfully. "It's just that sometimes… I miss her… I was a college friend of Kate's. I saw your picture at her apartment…" She broke into sobs.

Sniffling, she took the tissue Tony was offering.

"…So I thought you might've known her and I don't know… I was just curious, I guess…" Jessica wiped her eyes with the tissue and smiled faintly.

Tony had a sudden urge to console her, tell her that Kate was still alive. But he knew he couldn't.

"Well, I should get back to work," she said. Jessica walked off, her wide hips sashaying gracefully.

As she reached the elevator, she turned back. "Oh yeah," she called, a hint of flirtation in her voice. "You can call me Jess."

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and she stepped in. Tony swore that as the doors closed, Jess had given him a suggestive wink.

Tony sat at his desk, musing. A little over a year ago, he would've been interested.

Blonde. Hot. Confident. The type he used to like.

But then he had realised he had feelings for Kate. But he had been too scared to tell her.

And then, she had died. On that rooftop. At least, he thought she had died.

But now, there was hope again.

_He would get her back._

_He would tell her how he felt._

A surge of determination burst through him.

But then, it subsided as he glanced down at the letter on his table.

_He would find this Nick Ferenazah._

_He would stay alive._

But for some reason, there was no confidence in either of those thoughts.

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**_A/N: _**_Haha… has anyone figured out who Nick Ferenazah is yet? I've given you a teeny clue in this chapter, but it's possible to figure it out who it is without the clue. If you've figured it out, please don't post it in a review. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't **click the button below and review.**_

_P.S: Can anyone tell me what AU means?_


	10. One Big Mess

**A/N: **_I am so sorry about how long I took to update. I've had ridiculous amounts of homework, unrelenting parents, a broken computer…Not to mention this site refusing to let me upload my new chapter. Well, to make up for it, I've sped up the action in this chapter. _

_I hope you like it, and thank you very much to those that have reviewed my story. _

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They say that sleep is when your thoughts are clearest. _"What about when you're in a coma?" _she wondered.

Kate knew what her thoughts were now.

A part of her wanted to come out of this perpetual sleep. She was sick of this… nothingness. Maybe, on the other end, there wouldn't be Ric or Frankie. Maybe she would be in a proper hospital, and Abby would be there… or Ducky… or Gibbs.

But she was afraid. Like most, Kate feared the unknown. And so, she refrained herself from waking up. In a way, this coma was a haven, somewhere she could be safe. They couldn't get her here. There was no way they could.

_Ric…_ God she regretted ever knowing him. But at least he was better to her than Frankie. Ric never hit her, never tortured her, never physically abused her. But sometimes he chilled her just as much as Frankie did.

Kate's thoughts drifted back to the team.

She missed them. They were the reason she wanted to wake up.

But even though they were her closest friends, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. How long had Ric and Frankie held her captive, awake and vulnerable? Two, three, four months? On the first day, she had held strong. The team would rescue her. In the first week, she kept faith, refusing to oblige Ric and Frankie's wishes. But by the second month, only a thread of hope had remained. After that, she had accepted that they weren't coming. Frankie read her well, rubbing salt in the wounds of betrayal.

Tony's betrayal stung the most. She loved him, even if he didn't know it, and he hadn't even cared about her enough to rescue her.

But she knew she was being unreasonable. She was sure Gibbs was trying. He would've never let his team give up on her. Never.

A question she had asked herself plenty of times repopped into her head. Maybe she had been rescued. Maybe she should try to wake up. Maybe she would awake to find McGee looking at her, or Gibbs, or even better, Tony.

Out of Kate's hearing, and beside her bed, the brain activity monitor beeped in a frenzy.

Kate felt a wave of conciousness seep into her. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if Tony could possibly be on the other side.

But eventually, her fears of Frankie and Ric won. She fought the growing conciousness, trying to regain that sense of nothingness. She desperately didn't want to wake up. Finally, drowsiness overcame her once more and her thoughts blurred out of existence. Beside her, the brain activity monitor grew silent.

Unfortunately for Kate, we don't always get what we want.

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Gibbs sat quietly at his desk, contemplating. The sounds of his team typing away filled his head.

This was all a big mess. It was too much for him to handle.

First of all, there was Kate. They had to find her.

Frankie had sent back his evidence of her being alive yesterday. Photos. Medical records. Showing Kate in a coma, bruises on her face.

That bastard. He had told them she was alive. Well, she was, but had never mentioned her being in a coma. That made things even worse. Besides the possibility of her never waking up, it also meant she was utterly helpless.

Gibbs shuddered, wondering if Frankie had done anything to her whilst she was vulnerable. He had seen the bruises on her face. What if he had gone further than just punching her? What if he had…?

Gibbs shoved the thought aside. He couldn't face the possibility that Frankie had done _that._

He moved on to his second problem.

Tony and Nick Ferenazah.

Tony claimed he had no idea who this Nick was. But according to the letter, he did. _"You know who I am" _

Bu Tony didn't know who he was, or why a terrorist would specifically target him.

A thought popped into Gibbs' mind. _What if Dinozzo is hiding something?_

Gibbs erased the suggestion. Tony wasn't that stupid…

So that meant one of Gibbs' agents was in a coma and being held captive and another was the target of a deadly terrorist?

And what about Gibbs himself?

Frankie had tried to kill him. Gibbs had no idea why. But it meant that he was in possible danger as well.

He had three skilled agents: Tony, Ziva and McGee. Ducky could be considered as being on his team as well, but Gibbs hoped he wouldn't be needed. Unless it was Frankie Chezna's body…

He had three very personal cases to solve.

Three cases. Three agents. It seemed impossible.

Save Kate. Protect Dinozzo. Stay alive. It was all too much for him and his team.

But they would make it.

He hoped.

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Frankie Chezna snuggled against his plush, leather chair, smiling complacently.

_I am too smart._

Kate was going to wake up soon. Today. Tomorrow. Next week at the latest. Her brain activity levels proved that.

But NCIS had no idea she would awake soon. And he was going to take advantage of that.

The medical records he had sent them were two months old. They showed no brain activity. Their M.E. would examine them and wouldn't be able to say there was a high chance of her waking up. Frankie had changed the dates, making them seem recent.

He chuckled. NCIS was just so fun to mess with.

Frankie dialed a number on his phone.

It was time for some games.

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The phone on Tony's desk began to ring.

_Bring bring. Bring bring. _

Tony paused, then picked it up.

"Dinozzo," he greeted.

"Ah… Anthony," a faintly familiar voice said coldly. "Remember me?"

Tony thought for a moment. Then, the voice registered. _Frankie Chezna. The bastard that has Kate._

Tony composed himself. "Why, hello Frankie," he said calmly. His voice may have been placid but his gestures weren't. Frantically, he pointed at the phone. McGee got the message and began tracing the call.

Frankie chuckled. "I trust you got my package?"

"You bastard," Tony growled. "You never told us she was in a coma"

"You never asked," Frankie replied breezily. "I didn't realize you considered it to be important".

Tony didn't reply, glancing over at McGee. He was typing furiously, trying to trace the call.

"So Anthony…" Frankie chuckled. "Seen the photos of Kate? Doesn't she look so pretty, all vulnerable and helpless? I must say, she's a lot more fun when she isn't all feisty and resistant. I mean, it's so much better now that I can do _whatever_ I want with dear Caitlin. By the way, have you seen how she looks in that sheer nightie? Such a fine woman."

Tony's hand shook slightly. _Oh god, what if this bastard had…? _

"We'll find you," Tony threatened. "And when we do, there'll be hell to pay."

Tony's jaw clenched as he heard Frankie laugh.

"Well," Frankie sighed. "It's been lovely to talk to you but I must hang up before I'm traced. Is McGee urgently telling you to keep me on the line for a bit longer? Don't bother trying. How long before he finds where I am, eh? 10 seconds? Oh, wait no… its five now… four… three… two-"

The line went dead.

"Damnit!" McGee shouted. "I was literally one second away from getting him," he said exasperatedly.

"I know, McGee," Tony said softly. "I know."

-----------------------------------------------

Ric gazed at the photo on his desk.

He picked it up. In the photo, a pretty brunette stood beside a teenage Ric, kissing him on the cheek.

That had been a long time ago, when he and Kate had been a couple.

A long, long time ago.

But now, he wanted her back. And so, he had enlisted Frankie's help. Except something had gone ridiculously wrong.

Instead of her falling in love with him once again, she had fallen into a coma. Perhaps bringing in Frankie hadn't been a good idea. Now Kate hated him even more.

Ric sighed. This was all a big, big mess.

His phone suddenly rang, piercing the heavy air with its shrill cry.

Ric picked it up. It was a text message. His heart pounded as he read it.

_Things are about to become even more complicated. _

The text was from a computer connected to the medical equipment in Kate's room. It sent automated messages to the appropriate people when important events occurred.

Ric's pulse throbbed in his ear as he read the message again.

**Subject has awoken **

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**_A/N:_**_ Dun dun duuuun. See, I really did speed up the action. The next chapter will be out soon, I hope. Just a note, I know a ridiculous amount of Tate fics have the whole crazy ex-boyfriend thing, but this will be different. _

**_Please review. _**


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